Open Call for 5 Participants from Bosnia and Herzegovina for Youth Exchange in Slanic Moldova, Romania - FEELING EUROPEAN
- Name of the project: “FEELING EUROPEAN”
- Date of Project: 16.11.2021 – 29.11.2021.
- Hosting organization: “ASOCIATIA PENTRU DEZVOLTARE ACTIVA ADA”
- Sending organizations: “BRAVO“
- Place: Slanic Moldova, Romania
- Participants age: + 18
- The number of participants : 4+1
- Working language: English
- Deadline for applying: 15.10.2021.
- Important note: Preference is given to all persons who have been fully vaccinated.
This project is financed by the European Commission through the Erasmus Plus Program. This publication reflects the view only of the author, and the European Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein. By Erasmus+ rules organizers will cover travel costs, accommodation and food.
SUMMARY
Through “Feeling European” we want to raise the European awareness among young people and to increase their confidence in the European Union, but also to promote the European principles and values both, among the young people in the EU and outside the EU. The whole project was built to meet the learning needs of the young people from the partner organizations’ local communities, raising the European awareness of young people and their
confidence in the European Union, taking into consideration the trust issues the EU is facing nowadays because of Brexit and Euroscepticism.
To increase the confidence in the European Union of 42 young people and 10 group leaders from 10 countries, by developing democratic competences and their knowledge regarding the functioning mechanisms of the EU.
To promote the European citizenship, values and principles by involving 42 young people, as multipliers of the European Union, in awareness campaigns at local level, during the project.
To fight online misinformation about the European Union by developing critical thinking skills among 42 young people and involving them in promoting a fair and realistic perception of the European Union.
To create a visual guide consisting of 10 video lessons and 5 brochures for the correct information of young people on the functioning mechanisms of the European Union, citizenship, principles and European values.
PROJECT’S MAIN ACTIVITIES
The project’s main activity is a youth exchange with participants from partner countries, which will take place in Slanic Moldova, Romania, between 16th and 29th of November 2021 (16th of November 2021 is the arrival day and 29th of November 2021 is the departure day). with the participation of 42 young people with the age between 15 and 25 years old and 10 group leaders with the age above 20 years old, from Romania, Malta, Armenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Turkey, Palestine, Spain, Ukraine, Lithuania and Republic of Moldova.
Main themes of the exchange: EU Citizenship, EU awareness and Democracy, Civic engagement/responsible citizenship, Youth Participation, EU values and EU institutions
SESSIONS CONTENT:
In the first part of the youth exchange, the participants will participate in creative sessions carefully planned to develop the European awareness of the young participants, as well as their democratic competences and their knowledge regarding the functioning mechanisms of the EU. During the sessions, the participants will address important issues regarding the European Union, understand the importance of the active participation of young people and why assuming European values can contribute to the development of local communities. The participants will discuss the dangers and threats the European Union is facing, both online and offline, will discuss Brexit and how online misinformation is a threat to the EU. At the same time, they will understand the reasons behind youth participation, and through a Street Debate activity they will collect the vision of the young people from Onesti regarding the future of the European Union.
In the second part, participants will learn how to plan campaigns, develop media and social media content, and will elaborate the main results of the project: a visual guide consisting of 10 video lessons and 5 brochures for the correct information of young people on the functioning mechanisms of the EU, European citizenship, European principles and values. Last but not least, on the second last day, the participants will do an intercultural visit, followed by a final day for conclusions, follow-up and the final evaluation of the exchange.
INTERCULTURAL EVENINGS:
The intercultural dimension of any international project it is very important, as it is a great opportunity for the participants to present their country, national food and drinks, traditional songs, dances, but also the people’s lifestyle, way to communicate and so on. Thus, in 3 evening, between 21:00 and 22:30 we will organize intercultural evenings. In each evening, 3 national groups will be responsible to present their country.
PROJECT’S EXPECTED RESULTS AND IMPACT
RESULTS
A visual guide consisting of 10 video lessons for the correct information of young people on the functioning mechanisms of the EU, European citizenship, European principles and values. These will be realized as webinars in which information about the EU and its functioning mechanisms will be presented in an attractive way.
The 10 webinars will be supplemented by a series of 5 brochures made through graphic facilitation. The contents of the brochures will be adapted for young people (to be attractive and easy to understand) and translated into all the participating languages.
The project film – with interviews and sequences from the youth exchange – to promote the project, the Erasmus + program, the EU and European values.
Project’ promotion tools: project blog, roll-ups, promotional materials etc.
Video testimonials of the young participants during the exchange, photos during mobility, etc.
IMPACT
The impact is relevant in relation to the learning needs of the young participants and takes into account their personal, professional and social development (through the development of key and transversal competences), the development of their self-confidence, initiative and creativity, understanding of European values and strengthening the sense of European citizenship within themselves.
The participants with fewer opportunities will develop transversal competences that will help them to overcome their fewer opportunity status: young people with financial difficulties will develop their degree of employability and will learn to identify their development opportunities; young people with social difficulties (especially victims of discrimination) will promote European values in their communities, which on the long run will contribute to fighting discrimination; young people with geographical difficulties will develop their mobility and learning
opportunities.
The project strengthens the capacity and international dimension of the partner organizations, diversifies the opportunities for involvement for their own volunteers and for the young people from the local communities, but also the opportunities for collaboration at local level with other stakeholders; it develops the organizational capacity of the partner organizations and it increases their visibility and the portfolio of projects; the project develops quality and best practices in youth working and social inclusion of the young people with fewer opportunities.
The young people participating in the follow-up and dissemination activities will develop democratic competences, European awareness and confidence in the EU. Those who will come into contact with the results of the project (video lessons, brochures) will develop similar skills. Other youth workers will be able to use the results of the project in their own projects to promote the EU among young people.
In the long term, we aim the young participants to become EU multipliers in their countries, becoming active citizens, developing initiative and solving other problems from their local community.
“Feeling European” is a best practices project, which strengthen the young people’s trust in European Union and its institutions.
INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL
For your trip from Bucharest to Slanic Moldova, we will rend a bus to bring all participants from Bucharest/Otopeni Airport straight to the hotel in Slanic Moldova on 16th of November 2021 and then, from Slanic Moldova to Bucharest/Otopeni Airport on 29th of November 2021. The rented bus will leave on 16th of November 2021, first from Bucharest Gara de Nord (the main train station) and then from Otopeni Airport. We will have volunteers waiting for you in 2 different meeting points, at both, Gara de Nord and Otopeni Airport. Most probably the rented bus will leave from Gara de Nord around 5 pm and then from Otopeni Airport around 5:30 pm, but we will decide together the departure hours taking into consideration the participants’ travel plan and when they will land in Bucharest.
If people are landing earlier (in the morning or about lunch time) they can visit Bucharest city. To arrive from Otopeni Airport to Gara de Nord (the main train station) people should take the bus no. 780. More details about the trip from the airport to the city you can ask at the airport information point. Also, at Gara de Nord (the main train station) there is a place where people can leave their luggage.
Travel cost for participants from Bosnia and Herzegovina – 275 EUR
ACCOMMODATION AND FOOD
The accommodation is 100% covered by Erasmus+ Programme, between 30th of September 2021 (Check in after 14:00) and 12th of October 2021 (Check out before 12:00).
During the Youth exchange participants will be hosted at Pensiunea Poiana Verde from Slanic Moldova. The rooms will be shared between 2 or 3 people. Some of the rooms have 3 beds, others TWIN beds and a couch, others have a matrimonial/shared bed and a third bed, a matrimonial/shared bed and a couch or just a matrimonial/shared bed. If you want to share the room with someone in particular, please let us know in time.
The food and coffee breaks are 100% covered by Erasmus+ Programme.
There will be three meals per day (breakfast, lunch and dinner) and 2 coffee breaks per day. On the arrival day it is included just the dinner and on the departure day it is included both, breakfast and lunch. It is very important to tell us if you have any allergies or if is there something that you do not eat, if you are vegetarian or vegan, have a diet, etc. This is why it is important all participants to fill out carefully the application form and to not forget to send it to us before 15th of October 2021.
Please bring comfortable warm clothes. The average temperatures are usually oscillating between 5 and 15 Celsius degrees during the day and -5 and 5 Celsius degrees during the night for the period when the project will be held. We will give you further information about the weather as the youth exchange gets closer.
Also, please bring your favorite music and anything else you consider necessary, including slippers, hairdryer (not all the rooms have an hairdryer) etc. At the hotel, there is internet access and towels. We also recommend some of the participants to bring a laptop.
If any participant wants to stay longer in Romania, this is possible up to 2-3 days before and 2-3 days after the mobility. Still, all costs related to the extra days (for food, accommodation, trips, local transportation or other type of costs who were not made for the project) must be covered by the participant himself/herself.
COVID INFORMATION
Travel restrictions:
Anyone considering travel to Romania should check the latest information from the local authorities regarding requirements for international passengers arriving in the country.
Here you may find what are the countries on the RED, YELLOW and GREEN list: https://www.cnscbt.ro/index.php/liste-zone-afectate-covid-19/ (the list is updated regularly – each week).
• Anyone arriving to Romania from Red countries, will be required to self-quarantine for 14 days.
• Arrivals from Yellow countries must quarantine for 14 days, unless presenting negative test results.
• Arrivals from yellow and red countries must present a negative PCR test, no older than 72 hours.
• Anyone arriving to Romania from Green countries, will not be required to selfquarantine.
Official measures against COVID-19 in Romania:
• Wearing a mask is mandatory in public spaces indoors. It is mandatory outdoors in places of larger gatherings (bus stations, markets, concerts etc);
• It is mandatory to keep a distance of 1.5 meters with other people;
You may find attached the code of conduct and some of the group rules we will follow during the exchange.
ABOUT CITY
Bacău is the main city in Bacău County, Romania.
If you get to Bacau, make sure you don’t miss the Precista Church, built by the son of Stephen the Great at the end of the 15th century, or the ruins of the Princely Court in its vicinity. There is also the modern art Roman-Catholic Cathedral, the biggest church in Moldavia with over 70 metres height. The Ethnographic Museum in Bacau displays the ethnographic areas of the region, while the History Museum houses an important collection of antique objects from the ancient Dacia.
Bacau has several shopping centres available throughout the city, and there are also available plenty of places to buys souvenirs, the most common being related to Romanian folk. Apart from the occasional events that take place in Bacau, there is always a theatre or a cinema to go to for entertainment, as well as art exhibitions. Nightlife in Bacau has a lot to offer on its own. Bacau has something for everyone, like bars and clubs, discos, or even casinos.